Throwback Thursday: Speedy Imports at Fontana in 2008

Larry Lawrence | December 13, 2018

Throwback Thursday: Speedy Imports at Fontana in 2008

Henny Ray Abrams photo

In one of the more contemporary Throwbacks we’ve featured here, we wind back the clock just a decade ago to 2008 and AMA Pro Road Racing tests at California Speedway in Fontana. Getting set to race in the AMA that season were Neil Hodgson, riding AMA Superbike for the factory Honda squad and Chaz Davies, who raced AMA Formula Xtreme for Attack Racing Kawasaki. Both riders came to the AMA with GP experience. Hodgson was also World Superbike Champion, riding with the works Ducati team in 2003. As it turns out, when this photo was taken Hodgson was on the downslope of his career. In 2009 Hodgson had a serious motocross training accident, which damaged his shoulder badly enough that he never fully recovered and would eventually have to retire. Davies used his success in America as a springboard to the Supersport World Championship, which he won in 2011. He then went on to become a leading World Superbike contender, which he is to this day.